X-ecutionersBuilt From Scratch (Loud)Turntablism, as it's come...

Daphne CarrCHICAGO TRIBUNE

X-ecutioners

Built From Scratch (Loud)

Turntablism, as it's come to be known, is the reinvention of the deejay in the face of hip-hop's bloated glamor game. Through competitions, deejays have created their own star system, and the X-ecutioners are undisputed as East Coast champs. For almost two decades they've been digging in basements, finding rare beats and strange sounds to scratch ad infinitum. Here they build off the talents of guests Linkin Park, Pharaoh Monch and even the Tom Tom Club, who re-recorded "Genius of Love," to give them raw goods for a mastermind remake. The real listen is in the grooves -- cut rough then sanded for endless smooth transitions, mixing fierce breaks with battle-tested skills from the old school. The X-ecutioners prove they're desperate teachers as they try to push their lessons above ground.